Youngstown Alberta State Of Emergency: Too Much Rain Wreaking Havoc

YOUNGSTOWN, Alta. - A village in east-central Alberta has had to declare a local state of emergency because of too much rain.

Youngstown Coun. Ken Johnson says almost 180 millimetres of rain fell in one overnight period last week and another 25 millimetres fell on the weekend.

Johnson says the water has forced the local diner to close because of damage to its foundation and almost every basement in town is wet.

The village has lost power to its pumping station so it has had to bring in vacuum trucks to haul away sewer waste.

The problem is that drains were overwhelmed by water flooding the highway.

Johnson suggests the situation should be under control in about a week — if the rain stays away.

"There's a ... house where a young couple lives where the dirt basement gave way and the walls started to collapse," Johnson said Wednesday. "And there's one other house that's partially submerged — about four or five feet of water."